


Comfort VII

by AnnaOnTheMoon



Series: Comfort [8]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 23:53:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12420792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaOnTheMoon/pseuds/AnnaOnTheMoon
Summary: Beverly comes to Jean-Luc after Nella breaks things off with him.





	Comfort VII

**Author's Note:**

> So Part VII returns to the same "universe" as parts I-V.

Nella was gone.  She hadn’t died down on Bersallis, but she nearly had.  And when she finally was beamed back to the _Enterprise_ , she had broken it off with Jean-Luc. He eyed the bottle of Whisky and poured a glass.  _Well, why not?  This is why I can’t have relationships with my crew.  I have to send them into situations and detach myself from being in a relationship with them to give orders....no wonder Nella left me.  But, I was falling in love..I think._  A tear rolled down Jean-Luc’s face and he brushed it away.  He wished he had someone to talk to, and he thought about Beverly.  _Would it be fair to ask Beverly to comfort me in a time like this? She is....the most important person in the world to me.  So then why did I bother with Nella?_  Jean-Luc threw back the drink and thought about it.  _Because she was more convenient._   Another drink.  _Being with Beverly would...complete me.  But I can’t risk my friendship._ He tossed back another drink.  _Nella Daren never really had a chance.  Sure, I would have enjoyed the relationship, and I did love her....I think....but I don’t think Nella would ever have been a part of me the way Beverly is._ He poured a third drink.  _Why am I sitting here alone?_

The chime to his door sounded and before he had been able to answer, it slid open with Beverly’s code.  _Nella complained to me about Beverly having my code and not her, but Beverly is....Beverly.  I tried to explain, but she....got angry.  I thought she was going to break it off right then, but for some reason, she didn’t...but she never understood my....relationship with Beverly._

Beverly took in Jean-Luc slumped on his sofa, empty glass dangling from his hand and a half bottle of whisky on the table.  _My poor Jean-Luc.  How could Nella Daren have done this to you?_ She audibly sighed. “How many have you had?”

Jean-Luc held up three fingers.

“Seems I have some catching up to do.”  Beverly replicated a glass and poured herself a drink.

“Beverly...you don’t have to....You don’t have to stay.  Really, I’ll be fine.”  Beverly caressed Jean-Luc’s cheek gently and sat down next to him.

“Of course you’ll be fine. You’re Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the _USS Enterprise_.  But you’re also Jean-Luc, my best friend, and the man who just had his heart broken.  You were there for me with Odan, it’s my turn to be there for you.” 

“Odan was different. He was dead.”

Beverly sipped her whisky. “Hmm. Technically.  Though we could argue that since he was the symbiot he was alive....just....not in his own body.....”  Jean-Luc shrugged and poured Beverly another glass. 

“Nella was...” he trailed off and poured himself another glass.

“She was what, Jean-Luc?”

Jean-Luc took a deep breath, turned towards Beverly, and grasped her hand.

“She was not you.”  Jean-Luc ducked his head to kiss Beverly’s fingers, then pressed his hand to his forehead.  _Ow.  Drinking while having a headache is a bad idea._

“Oh, Jean-Luc.  You silly, silly, man. Come here.”  Beverly scooted to the far end of the sofa so Jean-Luc could lay down.  He rested his head in her lap and she began to massage his head. Jean-Luc groaned as her hands found just the right spot on either side of his head. Nella had complained once when she had arrived at Jean-Luc’s cabin and found them like this, but Beverly knew exactly how to ease his tension headaches.  Perhaps he shouldn’t have had his head in her lap, but they had been sitting that way for twenty years, ever since Beverly learned about using massage as a treatment for headaches when she was a student.  Jack used to laugh at them when he would find them together on the sofa.  If Jean-Luc’s head wasn’t in Beverly’s lap, then Beverly’s feet were in Jean-Luc’s.  Jack had found it hilarious. 

“Mm. You know me better that she ever did.”  Beverly slid her hands down his face and Jean-Luc playfully kissed each hand as it passed over his mouth down to his neck.  She began to rub his neck.

“Jean-Luc, it’s really not fair for you to compare a month-long relationship with our twenty plus years of friendship.”

“She didn’t like it, you know.”

“Like what?”

“You...me...us.  She felt threatened....she didn’t like it that you had access to my cabin and she didn’t.”

“ _I’m_ the ship’s doctor. I’m _your_ doctor.”

“I know. I tried to explain to her that you could access any cabin if medically necessary....”  Beverly tugged at the zipper on his shirt.

“Off.” 

“Hmm?  Oh, right.” Jean-Luc sat up and removed his shirt.  Beverly sat sideways and started massaging his shoulders. “Nella didn’t like you giving me massages, either.”

“I....see”

“I told her it was medicinal.....” Beverly worked at a knot in his shoulder and had him groaning under her hands. A small smile graced her lips.  _If Nella only knew what these massages sometimes led to....Of course, not while he was dating her. I may love Jean-Luc, but I know when to put up boundaries.  Though perhaps giving him a head massage with his head in my lap last week wasn’t such a good idea.  Oh well._

.”Captain, you are way too tense.” She rubbed her hands down his back pressing hard as she trailed them down to his hips.

“Are you speaking as my doctor or as my best friend?”

“Hmmm.  Both.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“As your doctor?  Continued massage therapy.” 

“And as my best friend?”  She leaned forward and kissed the base of his neck, causing him to shiver.

“I hear sex is pretty good stress relief....”

“Only with someone who knows you inside and out. Otherwise, it’s stressful....trying to find out what they like....hoping they don’t do something you don’t like...it’s very complicated.”  He stood up and took her hand, pulling her off the sofa.  He put her labcoat over the back of the sofa and reached for the zipper on her jumpsuit. 

“Was it very stressful with Nella?”  She leaned in and lightly nipped at Jean-Luc’s throat before shimmying out of her jumpsuit and kicking off her boots. 

“Very.  We only had sex a few times.  I didn’t.....well, I didn’t enjoy it with her.”  He removed his trousers and reached for her bra.

“Oh?”  Beverly stepped out of her panties.

“She’s wasn’t you.”  He pressed her to his body before dragging her back towards his bedroom. 

###

Nella stood outside Jean-Luc’s quarters and rang the door chime several times getting no response.  She had forgotten she still had his flute and wanted to return it.  She was sad to have ended the relationship, but at the same time, relieved.  She knew if she had stayed, she would always be third in the Captain’s life...possibly even forth if Wesley was around.  She didn’t really understand it.  Everyone she spoke with had told her there was nothing between Jean-Luc and Doctor Crusher, so she had pursued the Captain.  But....there must be something there.  She pressed the chime once more and still had no response.  It wasn’t that late in the evening.   She sighed.

“Computer:  Location of Captain Picard.”

“Captain Jean-Luc Picard is in his quarters.”

“O....K.....but he’s not responding to the chime.  Computer: Is the Captain alone?”

“Negative.” Hmm. Well, whoever it was it must be really important if he is ignoring the chime.

“Computer:  Who is in Captain Picard’s quarters?”

“The occupants of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s quarters are as follows:  Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Doctor Beverly Crusher.”  Nella’s eyes went wide. 

“Oh.  Computer: Can you tell me what they are doing?”

“Negative.”

Nella was debating what to do when Data came walking past her.  She latched onto an idea. 

“Oh, Mr Data, I’m glad to have found you!”

“Commander Daren, what can I do for you?” She held out the flute case.

“Jean-Luc...I mean, Captain Picard left this behind when we last practised and I wanted to return it.  He’s not in his quarters so I thought I could just leave it?  Could you open his quarters for me?”

Data processed her request.  Captain Picard was dating Commander Daren...therefore, he was sure the Captain would not mind if he gave her access.

“Of course, Commander.”  Data entered his security override and the door slid open. “Have a good night.”

Nella looked around the Captain’s living room.  A lab coat was on the back of the sofa.  Jean-Luc’s shirt was on the floor in front of the sofa, and there was a trail consisting of a blue jumpsuit with commander pips, two pairs of boots, a pair of trousers, a bra, panties, and finally, a pair of men’s underwear leading towards the bedroom.  _Nothing going on between them, indeed._ She pressed a fist to her mouth to muffle her grunt of anger.

Nella stood in the middle of the room and didn’t know if she wanted to confront Jean-Luc and the doctor or if she should just leave.  She was just about to leave when the door to the bedroom slid open.  She stood still in the shadows as Jean-Luc walked out of his room stark naked and looked around. 

“Jean-Luc, come back to bed,”  Nella heard Beverly’s voice sleepily call. 

“It’s all right, dear. I thought I heard the door.” _Dear?  He calls her dear?  Oh, this_ is _good.  Should I speak up?_

“And you thought you would answer it naked?”

“You might have a point.”  Jean-Luc gave the room one more glance and called “Computer: Is someone ringing my door chime?”

“Negative.”

“See? No one’s there. Come back to bed.”  Nella froze as Jean-Luc turned around and walked back into the bedroom. Before the door had shut behind him, she heard the distinct noise of lips meeting skin.  After the door slid shut, Nella turned around and headed for the door, placing his flute on the table before leaving.


End file.
